Phoenix Water Extending The Life Of N95 And Surgical Masks For Staff To Reuse

Press release from the City of Phoenix:

May 27, 2020

As the need for N95 and surgical masks continue to rise, equipment in the Phoenix Water Services water quality laboratory is being used to disinfect masks and eliminate any SARS-CoV-2 with Ultraviolet (UV) light. The UV light disinfects the masks without destroying them, which allows staff to reuse them. "Our staff working at the Pay Station locations come in contact with residents throughout the day, and they must have the proper PPE. Utilizing equipment we already have in-house, to preserve the PPE and still be in accordance with CDC recommendations goes a long way," said Jennifer Calles, Deputy Water Services Director, in charge of the laboratory. According to the National Institutes of Health, UV light, dry heat, and ethyl alcohol can also be used to sanitize masks.

Phoenix Water utilizes UV light as a part of its daily functions and created a process to properly sanitize the masks and ensure that all safety regulations are being followed. Staff used biological indicators to test the effectiveness of the UV lights. If nothing grows on the biological indicators, the team would know that the masks had been sanitized.

Phoenix Water staff take extra precautions before, during, and after the process including wearing PPE, and cleaning and disinfecting the work surfaces. The mask owner is responsible for adequately labeling the mask with their name. They then place the dirty mask in a paper bag, also labeled with their name, folded over, and stapled shut. The bag goes into a sealed container, or bin, labeled as "Dirty Masks" and includes the division's name where the staff works. The container is submitted to ESD to be sanitized. The container is also cleaned with disinfectant once emptied and returned. An inventory list is kept of all the masks owners inside the "Dirty Mask" bin and inside the "Clean Mask" bin. Once all the masks and containers have been sanitized, the entire room is sanitized with the same UV light. The whole process takes a couple of hours and can be done as often as needed.

This press release was produced by the City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author’s own.